File position indicating device



INVENTOR. 4

c/mwzis E ZUKOSK/ Mam;

C F ZUKOSK! FILE POSITION INDICATING DEVICE Filed Nov. 2,

Aug. 11, 1953 Patented Aug. 11, 1953 UNITED STATES 1 NT OFFICE 1 Claim.

This invention relates to a file position indicating device and moreparticularly to a device for indicating the place in a file drawer fromwhich a file, or document has been removed.

Another object of my invention is to provide a shall retain the files,papers or documents adja- O cent the place from which a file is removedseparated, thus indicating the point at which the file is to be returnedto the drawer.

A device embodying features of my invention is illustrated in theaccompanying drawings forming a part of this application in which:

Fig. i is a side elevational view partly broken away of a filing cabinethaving my improved device attached thereto;

Fig. 2 is a plan view of the device attached to a filing cabinet;

Fig. 3 is a sectional view taken along the line III-III of Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is a View similar to Fig. 3 showing different means for securingthe device to the filing cabinet; and,

Fig. 5 is a perspective view of the device showing the manner in whichthe pins are removably connected thereto.

Referring now to the drawings for a better understanding of myinvention, I show a filing cabinet indicated generally by the numeralill. The filing cabinet ii! is provided with the usual drawers 1! havingside walls l2 and it, a front wall i l, a rear wall it, and a bottom ll.The drawer ll may be mounted on the usual rollers 13 and is attached tothe filing cabinet in the usual manner. Also mounted in the bottom ofthe drawer for longitudinal movement therein is the usual verticallyextending backstop it.

My improved file position indicating device is indicated generally bythe numeral 22 and comprises a pair of relatively fiat verticallyextending end members 23 and 2 joined together by a pair of elongatedbars 26 and 21!. The vertically 2 extending end members 23 and 2 5 areprovided with an offset portion 28 adjacent the upper end thereof andthe outer edges of the offset portion are bent inwardly toward eachother to form flanges 29 and 3t which extend at an angle ofapproximately 99 to the end members 23 and 24.

The elongated bar 26 may be secured to the flanges 29 and Si by anysuitable means such as by screws 32. Preferably the bar 26 isrectangular in cross section and comprises a metal angle 33 and a stripof wood It'd which fits beneath the horizontal flange of the angle toform the rectangular bar The strip of wood t l is secured to the metalangle 33 by any suitable means such as screws 3%. A. plurality ofdownwardly and inwardly extending holes ii are provided in the elongatedbar 25 for receiving a plurality of relatively strong steel pins 38 ashereinafter described. As shown in Fig. 5, the holes H are spaceduniformly throughout the length of the bar 26 a distance equal to theminimum thickness of individual files and are positioned substantiallyequidistant from the top of the bar. The elongated bar 2'! is positionedbelow and spaced from the bar 26 and is secured to the lower end of theflanges 2t and 35 by any suitable means such as by bolts 33. lheelongated strip 27 serves as a brace between the vertically extendingmembers 23 and 2 and may be formed of a relatively thin sheet of metalor the like.

The pins 39 are provided with an oifset portion il adjacent one endthereof and the other end thereof is tapered for insertion in the holes3'5. As shown in Figs. 3 and 4: the pins 39, when inserted in the holes3'17 extend downwardly and inwardly of the drawer l l and are preventedfrom falling all the way through the opening by means of the offsetportion ii. Also, the lower tapered end of the pins facilitatesinsertion of the pins between files. The pins are preferably made ofsteel or a similar metal which is strong enough to retain the positionof a file which has been removed by keeping the adjacent filesseparated. Preferably also the outer ends of the holes 3'5 may becountersunk as shown at ill to aid the person using the device to insertthe pins.

The file position indicating device is of a length slightly shorter thanthe length of the drawer and is positioned at one side of the drawer H,as clearly shown in Fig. 2. Where the device is applied to an existingfiling cabinet it may be detachably secured to the rear wall it of thedrawer by means of a c clamp 52 which clamps the end member 2'3 to therear wall it. When clamped to the drawer in this manner the lower endsof the vertically extending members 23 and 24 contact the bottom H ofthe drawer, thus aiding to support the device along one side of thedrawer. By providing the offset portion 28 at the upper end of thevertically extending members 23 and as, the elongated bars 26 and 21 arepositioned laterally and outwardly of the files placed within the drawerthus permitting easy removal of the files therefrom.

In Fig. 4 of the drawing I show my file position indicating device asbeing secured to the rear wall it of the drawer by means of rivets 43fitting in openings 33a. It will be apparent that other suitable meansmay be employed to secure the device to the drawer, or if desired thepins 39 may be employed to hold the device in place.

From the foregoing description of my file psition indicating device, theoperation thereof will be readily understood. When it is desired toremove a file M from the drawer H, pins 39 are inserted through theopening 31 on both sides of the file to be removed. After removal of thefile, the pins 39 extend downwardly and inwardly between the adjacentfiles. The pins thus hold them separated and restrain them againstfalling into the space occupied by the removed file, and marks the placefrom which the file has been removed. When it is desired to replace thefile, it is placed back between the pins 39. By providing a plurality ofpins 39, any number of files may be removed from the drawer and theirpositions marked and reserved as described above.

From the foregoing it will be apparent that I have devised an improvedfile position indicating device which may be readily applied toconventional types of filing cabinets. It will also be seen that I haveprovided a file positioning device Which marks the place in a filedrawer from which a file has been removed and separates the adjacentfiles from each other thus assuring that the file will be returned atthe proper place, greatly facilitating the insertion of the file in itsproper position in the drawer.

While I have shown m invention in but one form, it will be obvious tothose skilled in the art that it is not so limited, but is susceptibleof various changes and modifications without de- 4 parting from thespirit thereof, and I desire, therefore, that only such limitationsshall be placed thereupon as are specifically set forth in the appendedclaim.

What I claim is:

The combination with a file drawer having therein a plurality oflaterally extending removable files, of file position indicating meanscomprising a relatively flat supporting member secured to the rear wallof the file drawer adjacent one side of the drawer and extending abovethe top of the adjacent side of the drawer, a second relatively fiatsupporting member adjacent the front wall of the drawer at the same sideof the drawer as the first mentioned supporting member and substantiallycoextensive in height with the first named supporting member, alaterally extending projection adjacent the upper end of each supportingmember extending above and outwardly of the adjacent side wall of thedrawer, inturned flanges on said projections extending toward each otherand at substantially right angles to said supporting members, anelongated substantially horizontal bar extending between the supportingmembers and secured to said flanges adjacent the tops thereof, therebeing a multiplicity of downwardly and inwardly extending holes in saidbar spaced at substantially equal intervals along said bar, and a pairof pins fitting slidabl and snugly in adjacent ones of said holes andextending downwardly between the files in the drawer whereby said pairof pins are held substantially rigidly and indicate between them theposition of a removable file.

CHARLES F. ZUKOSKI.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS

